The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon.
Typically, one of the recommendations to reduce medication errors and harm is to use the “Five Rights of Medicine Administration”: the right patient, the right drug, the right amount, the right route, and the right time. However, the five rights should be accepted as a goal of the medication process not the “be all and end all” of medication safety. It is important to follow the rules of the five rights of patient medication administration to keep the patient safe and prevent harm. Medical professional errors often occur in the medical field, and utilizing the five rights points can help to avoid these errors.
It is important for every medical professional and/or caregiver to be knowledgeable about the medication being given to the patient. It is not possible for every medical professional to know the drug facts on every drug. To be safe and competent, the medical professional should look up unfamiliar drug information before giving the medication to the patient. The patient has the right to information on the medication, the right to receive the correct medication, and the right to have a medical professional knowledgeable in the medication they are providing. Examples of the Five Rights of Medicine Administration may include:
Right Patient—Be sure you have the right patient before administering medication; Ask the patient to state their full name.
Right Drug—Check the bottle's label against the physician's authorization; Be sure they match.
Right Amount—Double check the amount of medication before administering; Be sure the amount to be given is clearly understood.
Right Time—Medication is to be given in substantial compliance with the physician's request; Within one half hour before or after the scheduled time.
Right Route—Designated medical professionals are authorized to administer oral medication only; Do not administer ear, eye, nose drops, topical medication, or injected medication.
Generally, the right amount, right day and right time are the most important parameters associated with consumption of medicine, particularly of the prescription type.
Typically, medicine may include a special food or a chemical that makes someone better when they are ill. A lot of medicines are liquids and can be bought in a small bottle. Other medicines may come in pills or capsules. The doctor may tell the patient or caregiver how much medicine to take each day. Most medicines cannot be bought unless a doctor (or other authorized professional) has prescribed the medicine for the patient. Often, the doctor or pharmacist provide specific instructions for administering the medicine, including dosages, quantities, and warnings.
Typically, medicine containers are containers that contain medicine prescribed by doctors. Medicine containers come in different shapes, sizes, and colors. The most common is an orange pill bottle, opaque liquid bottle or a pill box.
Typically, dosage forms are a mixture of active drug components and nondrug components. Depending on the method of administration they come in several types. These are liquid dosage form, solid dosage form and semisolid dosage forms. Various dosage forms may exist for a single particular drug, since different medical conditions can warrant different routes of administration. Additionally, a specific dosage form may be a requirement for certain kinds of drugs, as there may be issues with various factors like chemical stability or pharmacokinetics. The oral and intravenous doses of a medicine may also vary depending on the patient, the strength of the medication, and the severity of the illness.
Although Applicant's previous efforts improved medicine dispensing record system by providing a medicine container or a cap with a built-in or integrated marking or mark-on surface, further improvements have been found necessary, particularly in enabling attachment of a writing implement and protecting marked information from being unintentionally or accidentally removed or distorted.